Publication Plan, Voyageurs National Park
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Voyageurs Voyageurs National Park Publication Plan 2009 PUBLICATION PLAN Voyageurs National Park 2009 Prepared by: The Interpretive Staff at Voyageurs National Park This Publication Plan (PL) provides a vision for the future of publication materials at Voyageurs National Park. The intended life span of the PL is five to ten years. The plan defines why we provide the publication materials that we do, describes the current publication materials, and identifies what the park staff is working to achieve for publications in the future. Table of Contents Page # Part 1: Introduction Foundation for Planning 3 Park Setting 3- 4 Legislative Background 5 Park Mission 5 Park Purpose 6 Park Significance 7 Interpretive Stories 8- 11 Interpretive Themes 12 Basis for Publications 13 Part 2: Partnerships Park Partners 14- 15 Resource Partners 16 Part 3: Audiences Identified 17 Part 4: Produced Publications Free Publications Produced by Voyageurs National Park 18- 20 Free Publications Produced by Partners, Associations and Concessionaires 21 Free Publications Produced by Other Organizations 22- 25 Publications for Sale in the Sales Outlets within Voyageurs National Park 26- 27 Part 5: Publications Categorized by Audience 28- 34 Part 6: Proposed Publications 35- 36 Part 1: Introduction Foundation for Planning This Publication Plan (PP) defines why Voyageurs National Park provides publication materials, describes the current publication, and identifies what the park is working to achieve in the future. This plan is connected to the General Management Plan (2001), and the Long Range Interpretive Plan (2005). Park Setting Voyageurs National Park is a land and water environment of great beauty, exceptional natural and cultural resources, and abundant recreation opportunities. Located in the lake- country of northern Minnesota, the park protects 218,054 acres that include roughly 134,000 acres of woodlands, 84,000 acres of water, 655 miles of undeveloped shoreline, and hundreds of islands. The park's 55- mile northern boundary is the international border between the United States and Canada. This forested lake country along Minnesota's northern border was once the scene of an epic chapter in North American history. The park's complex system of waterways includes an important segment of the "transcontinental highway" traversed by French- Canadian voyageurs during the late 1700s and early 1800s. For more than a century, voyageurs plied the maze of lakes and streams in birch bark canoes and transported vast quantities of furs and goods between Montreal and the Canadian Northwest. The economic impact of the fur trade during this era was immense, as was the effect on natural and social systems. Although the park is named for the voyageurs and their role in the North American fur trade, there are other human stories here -- from the native peoples who lived on this land beginning 10,000 years ago, to the gold miners and settlers of the past century. The rocks tell the oldest story here. Lying in the southern portion of the Canadian Shield, the bedrock of Voyageurs National Park is between 2.1 and 2.8 billion years old, some of the oldest exposed rock in the world. Younger rock formations do not appear here. Perhaps they never existed; but more likely a series of glaciers removed them. Those glaciers -- ice sheets two miles thick -- also gouged out the lake and river beds here and set the stage for vast forests. 3 Voyageurs is unique among national parks as a place where the southern boreal forest meets and mixes with the northern hardwood forest. Wildlife thrives here. Voyageurs is one of only two national parks in the continental United States with an indigenous population of Eastern timber wolf. Bald eagles, black bears, moose, beaver, river otter, loons, and many other animal species also live here. But it is water that dominates the Voyageurs National Park landscape. Within its boundaries more than 30 lakes fill glacier- carved rock basins. Once visitors arrive at one of the park’s four entry points, most of them leave their cars behind and set out by water, much as the voyageurs did centuries ago. Today park visitors can still enjoy those same waterways and sense the spirit that beckoned Native Americans and French- Canadian voyageurs. 4 Legislative Background Voyageurs National Park (VOYA) was authorized by an Act of Congress on January 8, 1971 (84 Stat. 1971) "to preserve, for the inspiration and enjoyment of present and future generations, the outstanding scenery, geological conditions and waterway system which constituted a part of the historic route of the Voyageurs who contributed significantly to the opening of the Northwestern United States." The park was established in 1975. Park Mission During the course of creating the General Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement for Voyageurs National Park in 2002, a park mission statement was composed that states: Voyageurs National Park preserves the landscapes and scenic waterways that shaped the route of the North American fur traders and defined the border between the United States and Canada. The park and its diverse resources provide outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation, scientific study, sport fishing, education, and appreciation of the northwoods lake country setting. 5 Park Purpose Park purpose is the reason or reasons for which a park area was established. The basic purposes of Voyageurs National Park were identified in the General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement of 2002. The purpose statements listed below reflect that planning team’s analysis of the 1971 Act that created Voyageurs National Park, its legislative history, and comments received in public meetings: . Preserve the scenery, geologic conditions, and interconnected waterways within the park for the inspiration and enjoyment of people now and in the future. Commemorate the voyageurs' routes and fur trade with the native peoples of the north, which contributed significantly to the opening of northwestern North America to European settlement. Preserve, in an unimpaired condition, the ecological processes, biological and cultural diversity, and history of the northwoods lake country border we share with Canada. Provide opportunities for people to experience, understand, and treasure the lake country landscape -- its clean air and water, forests, islands, wetlands, and wildlife -- in a manner that is compatible with the preservation of park values and resources. General direction of the park’s purpose comes from the National Park Service’s Organic Act of 1916 which states that the purpose of the NPS is "...to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." 6 Park Significance The significance of a park is summarized in statements that capture the essence of the park's importance to our natural and cultural heritage. Knowing the park's significance helps to set resource protection priorities and identify primary park interpretive themes. As stated in the park’s 2002 General Management Plan, Voyageurs National Park is significant for the following reasons: . The park’s waterways include an important segment of the fur trade route used in the opening of northwestern North America. Located near the headwaters of the Arctic watershed of Hudson Bay, the park's lakes -- rather than land -- have been the primary travel route throughout history. The lakes continue to shape transportation and recreational uses of the area today. The park's exposed rocks and landscape exemplify the glacial activity of the Pleistocene epoch and some of the most complete and extensive Precambrian geologic features in the United States. The park preserves the timeless beauty of woods, rocks, water, and sky that invite people to renew themselves through a variety of outdoor activities. The designation of Voyageurs as a national park is integral to the protection of the boundary waters ecosystem by both the United States and Canada. Along with Quetico Provincial Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Voyageurs was and remains at the heart of a major conservation effort to protect the boreal forest landscape, its interconnected waterways, and associated wildlife. The park holds vital evidence of the continuity of 10,000 years of human relationships with the environment uniquely dictated by the interconnected waterway system. The park provides an exceptional, largely unstudied storehouse of knowledge for the future and preserves resources associated with a long period of use, including those representing the Native Americans, fur trade, logging, and recreation. 7 Interpretive Stories For each of the primary interpretive themes there are many compelling stories to be told. This section of the PL details some of the ideas that park staff have developed to express primary interpretive themes to park visitors. Park naturalists, interpreters, and volunteers should be familiar with these interpretive stories, and work to incorporate them into their programs. Geology The rocks of Voyageurs reveal a 2.8 billion year story of plate tectonics, continent building, and glaciation. Voyageurs’ rocky landscape is a vividly solid foundation that connects people to the land and provides opportunities for rest, solitude, exploration, and recreation. Just as all living things develop over time,